SAM and DEAN walk onto the pier, where they are engulfed by a rippling effect and transported to —

INT. CROWLEY'S LAIR - CONTINUOUS

The moment they enter the building, "SAM" and "DEAN" transform back into two DEMONS.

CROWLEY

So, it's three trials. Three trials and the Winchesters get to lock the door on me. Ha! [to DEMON #1] You. Fake Sam. If you're gonna tip our hand, I'll have to scrub Kevin's short-term memory again. And that's risky, so watch the patois in there.

DEMON #1

Patois?

CROWLEY

Your slang. Special K, nose to the God-stone, that's the way Dean speaks. Sam is... more basic, more sincere. Remember, I want two distinct, authentic characterisations.

DEMON #1

Yes, sir.

CROWLEY waves them off and both DEMONS exit.

CROWLEY

I was born to direct.

TITLE: SUPERNATURAL

ACT ONE

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY - DAY

DEAN enters, carrying a tray of food. SAM's sitting at the table, huddled underneath a blanket, going over some documents.

DEAN

Alright, here we go. John Winchester's famous cure-all kitchen sink stew. There you go. Enough cayenne pepper in there to burn your lips off, just like Dad used to make.

DEAN sets the tray down in front of SAM, who pushes it away.

DEAN

Yeah, we do the whole airplane thing with the spoon? When was the last time you ate?

SAM

I- I don't...

DEAN

Days, Sam. It's been three days.

DEAN pulls out a thermometer.

SAM

When'd you get that?

DEAN

When you started throwing off heat waves. Here.

SAM throws the blanket aside and stands up, stumbling.

SAM

Enough, Dean. Please.

DEAN

The bloody handkerchiefs, the fever, the shaky legs... this is not good.

SAM

Well, I'm not good. And I'm not going to be good until we can start moving again. Until I can start the third trial.

DEAN

Trial? I wouldn't let you start a moped. We're on the rails with this thing, okay, and the only way out of it is through it, believe me, I know. And you know how bad I wanna slam the door on all those sons of bitches. But you gotta let me take care of you, man. You gotta let me help you get your strength back.

SAM

This isn't a cold. Or a fever, or whatever it is you're supposed to feed. This is part of it all. Those first two trials... they're not just things I did. They're doing something to me. They're changing me, Dean.

DEAN's phone buzzes and he pulls it out. The screen reads "New Email from Kevin Tran."

DEAN

It's Kevin.

SAM

Finally.

DEAN opens KEVIN's message on the laptop — it says "WATCH THIS VIDEO NOW". He clicks the link and KEVIN's video message plays.

INT. GARTH'S BOAT - DAY

(The following is intercut with reaction shots of SAM and DEAN in the bunker.)

KEVIN

Sam, Dean. I've set up this message with some software on a remote server so it'd send itself to you if I didn't reset it with a command once a week. Which means I didn't reset it this week. And there's only one reason I wouldn't. Which means if you're watching this, then I... then I— I'm dead. I'm dead, you bastards! So screw you, screw God and everybody in between! (beat) Crowley must've gotten to me. And the one thing I know is that I won't break this time. Not sure how I know, but— but I do. I've been uploading all my notes, the translations, I'm sending you the links so you can get all of it. You guys are gonna have to try to figure out the rest. I'm sorry. [tearing up] I know it was my job, but I— but I couldn't... (beat) I'm sorry.

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY - DAY

DEAN angrily swipes a stack of books off the table.

DEAN

Damn it!

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY - LATER

SAM is printing out KEVIN's notes while DEAN is on the phone.

DEAN

Yeah, I know you haven't seen him, Keel, nobody has. Alright, well, if you talk to Garth, well, just have him call in. Yeah. [hangs up]

SAM

Garth still MIA?

DEAN

Yeah.

SAM

How about the other prophets in line? I mean if Kevin is, uh... is dead, then won't one of them be activated?

DEAN

Nothing, no, not a peep. (beat) Here we are. No lead, no tablet, squat.

SAM

Well, I mean, we got all this. [picks up a stack of notes]

DEAN

We should've moved him here.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

CASTIEL sits at one of the tables, looking at his watch.

SUPERIMPOSED: Santa Fe, New Mexico

A waitress, KARA, comes up and refills his coffee cup.

CASTIEL

I guess I've been acquiring the taste.

KARA

Yeah, the coffee's not too bad here.

CASTIEL

You know, I remember when you first discovered it. Before you started brewing it, you'd just chew the berries. Folk tale is true, by the way, you learned it from the goats.

KARA

Uh, been on the road a long time, huh?

CASTIEL

Feels like I've been on the run forever.

KARA exchanges a look with the man behind the counter.

KARA

Uh, I'm sorry, mister, but you're gonna have to order more than coffee if you wanna keep the table.

CASTIEL

Of— of course, um. [glances at a menu] I'll have the smart-heart beer-battered tempura tempters.

PERRY is on all fours, looking underneath the table CASTIEL was sitting at.

PERRY

I swear to God, Lance, the guy just disappeared.

LANCE

You on that crack again, Perry?

Two ANGELS (ION and another) appear and observe them.

INT. NAOMI'S OFFICE - DAY

NAOMI

Ion, tell me that you have good news.

ION

He's using a clever tactic. It's a restaurant called Biggerson's.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

CASTIEL sits at the table, drinking his coffee.

SUPERIMPOSED: Palm Bay, Florida

ION (O.S.)

The humans have built hundreds of them, almost exactly alike.

INT. NAOMI'S OFFICE - DAY

NAOMI

What are you talking about?

ION

It's their sameness.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

SUPERIMPOSED: Denver, Colorado

ION (O.S.)

Castiel is using it against us.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

CASTIEL remains in the same position, continuous from before, while the backdrop changes.

SUPERIMPOSED: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

INT. NAOMI'S OFFICE - DAY

ION

Now, we try to orient ourselves, but it's as if we're in every Biggerson's at once—

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

SUPERIMPOSED: Portland, Oregon

ION (O.S., cont'd)

Trapped in a quantum superposition.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

SUPERIMPOSED: St. Louis, Missouri

ION (O.S.)

Now, he chooses which to go to next—

INT. NAOMI'S OFFICE - DAY

ION (cont'd)

That's what's giving him the edge.

NAOMI

You're saying that you can't catch him.

ION

There's— there's just so many Biggerson's.

NAOMI

Very well. You say he can't be caught? Then we will simply have to make him stop.

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY - DAY

SAM and DEAN are going over KEVIN's notes.

SAM

Hmm. [looks at another page] There it is again, every time.

DEAN

Hmm?

SAM

This symbol? I know it. Now, Kevin has it down as, as sort of like a signature, for the Scribe of God. It appears every time Metatron makes one of his, uh, like, editor's notes.

DEAN

Okay...?

SAM

But I think I've seen it before. I mean, it was a long time ago, it was one of my, uh, humanities courses at Stanford.

DEAN

They taught Word of God at Stanford?

SAM

No, uh, it was an overview of Native American art — I think it's a petroglyph.

DEAN

A petro-what-now?

INT. BUNKER - LIBRARY - MOMENTS LATER

SAM slams a book onto the table and points to the symbol.

SAM

This one belonged to a tiny tribe in Colorado, more of a— a clan, really. It says here they held on to their scrap of mountains when all the other tribes fell to the white men. So this glyph was a territorial marker — closest translation: "messenger of God". (beat) Messenger of God. (beat) Messenger of God — Dean, we have to go there!

DEAN

On that hunch? You can barely function.

SAM

I'm only gonna get worse. I mean, until we get back to the real job, until we find the third trial — we're out of prophets! We're not gonna figure out what Kevin couldn't! I'd say we go to this messenger of God who wrote it in the first place!

DEAN

And you think this Metatron is hiding out in the mountains with a bunch of Indians.

CASTIEL still sits at the table, while the scenery behind him changes rapidly.

SUPERIMPOSED: Bangor, Maine

SUPERIMPOSED: Lincoln, Nebraska

SUPERIMPOSED: Reno, Nevada

SUPERIMPOSED: Tucson, Arizona

SUPERIMPOSED: Santa Fe, New Mexico

CASTIEL looks down at his coffee cup; the table is smeared with blood. He surveys the restaurant, which is now littered with bloody bodies.

KARA (O.S.)

You have to stop.

CASTIEL turns to look at her. KARA lies crumpled against one of the booths, her eyes having been burned out.

KARA

They said you have to stop.

CASTIEL

No.

KARA

They said you have to stop.

CASTIEL moves over to her.

CASTIEL

No.

KARA

Just stop... you have to stop...

CASTIEL

No.

KARA

You have to stop. [CASTIEL reaches out to heal her] They said you have to stop.

ION and the other ANGEL appear behind CASTIEL. ION presses his angel blade to CASTIEL's throat.

KARA

You have to stop.

ACT TWO

EXT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - DAY

SAM and DEAN pull up in the Impala.

SUPERIMPOSED: Route 34, Colorado

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - DAY

SAM and DEAN enter.

DEAN

Nice place.

They walk up to the desk. DEAN rings the bell. The HOTEL MANAGER enters.

DEAN

Morning. Hi. Uh, we'd like a room? (beat) Here, please.

SAM wanders off while DEAN signs in. From SAM'S PoV, we see his vision blurring and there's a ringing noise.

SAM

[to DEAN] Did you hear that?

DEAN

Hear what? [to the MANAGER] He has the flu.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

KARA

You have to stop. You have to stop. They said you—

NAOMI snaps her fingers, breaking KARA's neck.

NAOMI

Can't hear myself think.

CASTIEL

We were supposed to be their shepherds, not their murderers.

NAOMI

Not always, angel. There was that day, back in Egypt, not so long ago, where we slew every first-born infant whose door wasn't splashed with lamb's blood. And that was just PR.

CASTIEL

Well, I wasn't there.

NAOMI

Oh, you were there. You just don't remember it.

CASTIEL

How— how many times have you torn into my head and washed it clean?

NAOMI

Frankly? Too damn many.

NAOMI snaps her fingers to make one of the chairs slide over to her. She sits down.

NAOMI

You're the famous spanner in the works. Honestly, I think you came off the line with a crack in your chassis. You have never done what you were told. Not completely. You don't even die right, do you? Where is the angel tablet, Castiel?

CASTIEL

In the words of a— good friend... bite me.

NAOMI

Oh, we'll bite. Don't worry. [to her ANGELS] Go. Search all these Biggerson's. He must have hidden it along the way.

INT. GARTH'S BOAT - DAY

KEVIN is working on the translation of the demon tablet while DEMON!SAM and DEMON!DEAN keep watch.

The people of the Two Rivers tribe came to this land centuries ago. A land that was harsh, and stony. But the mighty leader told his people that they must stay here. He claimed that this was the home on Earth of the great spirit's sacred messenger, and that if they'd make offerings, their blessings would be many.

DEAN

What were the offerings?

CLERK

Huh?

DEAN

Uh, what did the great spirit's sacred messenger ask for?

CLERK

Stories. He asked the people to tell him stories.

DEAN spots an old photo on which the hotel's MANAGER looks exactly as he does now.

DEAN

I bet I know what the blessings were.

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - SAM & DEAN'S ROOM - DAY

SAM tosses around on the bed, feverishly, then gets up.

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

SAM staggers down the hallway, holding onto the wall for support as he goes. The ringing noise and blurred vision from before have returned. The elevator doors at the end of the hallway open. SAM hides in an alcove while the MANAGER places a stack of boxes in front of one of the rooms. As soon as he leaves, SAM makes his way over and opens one of the boxes, which turns out to be full of books.

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - SAM & DEAN'S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

SAM stumbles back into the room. He pulls out his phone, swaying, and hits the speed-dial... then passes out as it rings.

DEAN (O.S.)

Sam?

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

NAOMI's other ANGEL punches CASTIEL in the face. ION appears.

ION

I've been all over them. It's not there.

NAOMI

[to CASTIEL] Why? Why are you doing this? Let us put the tablet back where it should be.

CASTIEL

I need to protect it.

NAOMI

From the angels?

CASTIEL

From all of us.

NAOMI

I'm just going to have to pull you apart, aren't I?

Suddenly, her ANGEL is shot, falling to the ground in a cloud of blood and light. ION is shot in the arm a moment later, Grace leaking out. The shooter turns out to be CROWLEY, who has just appeared.

CROWLEY

Naomi, darling. Miss me?

ACT THREE

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - SAM & DEAN'S ROOM - DAY

SAM comes around, submerged in a bath of ice water.

SAM

Get off! [he pushes DEAN away and scrambles to get out of the bath]

DEAN

Take it easy, Sam. Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, take it easy, take it... [hands SAM a towel] Found you on the floor, passed out, your temperature was a 107. I had to force it down or you were toast.

SAM

He's here, Dean. Metatron is here, I know it, I can hear him.

DEAN

What're you talking about?

SAM

All I know is that I'm connected to it somehow.

DEAN

What, like you got a link to him, like a prophet?

SAM

I don't know! I just know he's here. Metatron is here.

DEAN

Okay, "here" where?

SAM

I can show you. I can show you. The manager. He was delivering books to him.

DEAN

Books?

SAM

Books. Hardcovers, paperbacks, novels — books.

DEAN

Stories.

INT. BIGGERSON'S RESTAURANT - DAY

CROWLEY shows his gun to NAOMI.

CROWLEY

Do you like it? I had my R&D people melt down one of your angel blades, cast it into bullets. Seems to do the trick.

Hmm. [walks over to CASTIEL] Hi, Cas. [CASTIEL glances from CROWLEY to ION] That's right, Cas. I got me an angel on the payroll. It's that kinda universe, these days.

CROWLEY shoots CASTIEL in the stomach.

CROWLEY

[to ION] Now grab him and follow me.

INT. GARTH'S BOAT - DAY

DEMON!DEAN

Hey, kid, you okay?

KEVIN

I can't, alright? It— it's the break in the stone. There's key writing, I— I can't make it out. You guys were right, I— I do need the other half of the tablet to get the trial. It's not too far from here.

DEMON!DEAN

Awesome. Uh, what's the 10-20?

INT. OFFICE - DAY

CROWLEY sits down behind the desk while ION pushes CASTIEL into a chair opposite him.

CROWLEY

Just wanted to take a moment away from the main action to chat with my old business partner. [CASTIEL clutches his bloody stomach] I assume you won't die just yet. Takes a painful long time to bleed out from the gut.

CASTIEL

You can do whatever you want, Crowley. I will never tell you where I buried the tablet.

CROWLEY

I know, Cas. I know. Luckily, I don't believe you'll have to. I've been getting regular updates from my expensive friend here. Naomi should have caught you out of the gate, seeing as lately she's been knuckles-deep in that melon of yours. She thinks that your touching the tablet has broken her spell over you, hmm?

CASTIEL

The tablets weren't meant for the angels, and they weren't meant for you.

CROWLEY

She's got a lot on her plate, so you can't fault her for missing it. I was thinking to myself, "self, if Cas got away from her by touching the tablet, why would he ever stop touching the tablet?" And then I thought to myself, "self... he hasn't stopped touching the tablet, now has he?"

CROWLEY plunges his hand into CASTIEL's stomach and pulls out the angel tablet.

SAM and DEAN exit their hotel room, SAM holding onto the doorpost as they go.

DEAN

I should be taking you to the ER.

SAM

They can't do anything for me. You know, I've been remembering things, little things, so clearly—

DEAN

What, donkey rides?

SAM

You used to read to me, um, when I was little, I— I mean, really little, from that— from that old, uh... Classics Illustrated comic book. You remember that?

DEAN

No.

SAM

Knights of the Round Table. Had all of King Arthur's knights, and they were all on the quest for the Holy Grail. And I remember looking at this picture of Sir Galahad, and, and, and he was kneeling, and— and light streaming over his face, and— I remember... thinking, uh, I could never go on a quest like that. Because I'm not clean. I mean, I w— I was just a little kid. You think... maybe I knew? I mean, deep down, that— I had... demon blood in me, and about the evil of it, and that I'm— wasn't pure?

DEAN

Sam, it's not your fault.

SAM

It doesn't matter anymore. Because these trials... they're purifying me.

They reach the end of the hallway.

SAM

They were here, the— the— the books, the boxes! They— they're gone.

DEAN pushes open the door.

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - METATRON'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

SAM and DEAN enter the room, which is filled with thousands of books. They round the corner and come face to face with METATRON, who aims a rifle at them.

ACT FOUR

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - METATRON'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

METATRON

Who're you?

DEAN

Metatron? This is Metatron? [to SAM] This is Metatron?

METATRON suddenly reappears behind them.

METATRON

Sit down.

They do. SAM clutches his head as the ringing returns, increased in volume, nearly blocking out METATRON's voice.

METATRON

Who sent you?

SAM

(half-shouting)

We came on our own. We're the Winchesters.

DEAN

I'm Dean, this is Sam.

METATRON

You work for Michael? Or Lucifer?

SAM

What, you really haven't heard of us? What kind of angel are you, we're— we're the freaking Winchesters.

INT. OFFICE - DAY

CASTIEL

How— how far can this go?

ION

Shh. Shut up.

CASTIEL

Ion. How far can we let it all drop? This charge was left to us, it's our mission.

ION

Do you even know what the mission was? They've been in all our heads.

CASTIEL

We aren't machines for them to program and reprogram. That wasn't what this was meant to be.

ION

Nothing matters.

CASTIEL

You are so wrong, brother. It all matters.

CASTIEL digs out the angel bullet from the wound on his stomach.

INT. GARTH'S BOAT - DAY

CROWLEY blows open the door and enters.

CROWLEY

You little prat. Having fun yet?

KEVIN

Screw you.

CROWLEY

Am I seeing this? How did you figure it out?

KEVIN

It started when they forgot the secret knock. But really, it— it was the way they acted. I don't think on their best day Sam and Dean would go into town and get me a barbecue dinner, not when there are leftover burritos in the fridge.

CROWLEY

So... my demons were too polite?

KEVIN

Yeah.

CROWLEY

Well, I'll be a son of a whore.

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - METATRON'S ROOM - DAY

DEAN

Michael and Lucifer? T-those— those dudes are in the deep fryer.

SAM

Yeah. We put them there ourselves.

METATRON

What about Gabriel? And Raphael?

SAM

Dead.

DEAN

You really don't know this?

METATRON

I've been very careful.

SAM

Hey, can you— [the ringing has gotten even louder] can you turn that down?

METATRON

Turn what dow— oh. You're resonating. [he lowers the rifle]

DEAN

Resonating? What— what do you mean, resonating?

METATRON

You've undertaken the trials. You're trying to pull one of the great levers, aren't you? You're pretty far along, too. You get that far along, you start resonating with the Word. Or with its source on the material plane. With me.

DEAN

You said you were being careful. Careful how?

METATRON

I'm not one of them. I'm not an archangel. Really more run-of-the-mill. I worked in the secretarial pool before God chose me to take down the Word. Anyway, he... seemed very worried about his work, what would happen to it when he left, so he had me write down instructions. Then, he was gone. After that, the archangels took over. [he pulls up a chair and sits down] And they cried, and they wailed. They wanted their father back. I mean, we all did. But then... then they started to scheme. The archangels decided if they couldn't have Dad, they'd take over the universe themselves. But they couldn't do anything that big without the Word of God. So I began to realise, maybe they would realise... they needed me.

DEAN

So you get a ruffle in your feathers and just decide to disappear? Go stick your head in the sand, forever? You have no idea what's been going on out there.

METATRON

Nope. That's the whole point.

INT. OFFICE - DAY

ION has turned away from CASTIEL, looking out the window.

ION

You soldiers, down in the garrison, at least they let you believe the lie. Upstairs, working for Naomi, working in intelligence, we had no option but to live in the dirt. She never reset me completely. I always knew too much, I had to— I had to do my job.

So you have been holed up here, or, or, or in a wigwam, or before that in some cave, listening to stories, reading books?

METATRON

(grinning)

And it was something to watch. What you brought to His Earth, all the mayhem, the murder. Just the raw, wild invention of God's naked apes... it was mind-blowing. But really... really, it was your storytelling. That is the true flower of free will. At least as you've mastered it so far. When you create stories, you become gods, of tiny, intricate dimensions unto themselves. So many worlds! I have read... as much as it's possible for an angel to read, and I haven't caught up.

SAM

You know what? (beat) Pull the frigging tigger.

METATRON

What?

SAM

Pull the freaking trigger, you cowardly piece of garbage.

DEAN

Sam. Hey!

SAM grabs the end of METATRON's rifle and points it at himself.

SAM

All the time you've been hiding here, how much suffering have you read over? Humanity's suffering! And how much of it has been at the hands of your kind?!

DEAN

C'mere, hey. [he pushes SAM back] You want a story? Try Kevin Tran's story. He was just a kid. He was a good, straight-A kid, and then he got sucked in to all of this— this angel crap. He became a prophet, of the Word of God. Your prophet. Now, you should've been looking out for him, but no! Instead, you're here, holed up, reading books.

SAM

He's dead now. Because of you.

INT. GARTH'S BOAT - DAY

KEVIN

You know the Winchesters are up to the third trial? That they're gonna shut the door on Hell?

CROWLEY

I'm not worried, kid.

KEVIN picks up the demon tablet.

KEVIN

You have no idea what's on this demon tablet. Right, the power you could have gotten with this, if you weren't running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

CROWLEY

You think I can't make you tell?

KEVIN

I know you can't. And you do too.

CROWLEY

You know what? I've already won. I have the angel tablet, you little smudge. And I got deals and plans up the jacksie. [he grabs KEVIN by the throat] And I don't... need... you!

CROWLEY slams KEVIN against the wall and strangles him. Suddenly, KEVIN's eyes start glowing white. Increasingly bright light emanates from him until CROWLEY is thrown back across the boat, hands and face burned.

ACT FIVE

INT. TWO RIVERS HOTEL - METATRON'S ROOM - DAY

KEVIN lies unconscious in one of the chairs. METATRON places a glowing hand on KEVIN's chest and the bruises around his neck fade away.

DEAN

Is that it? Is he good?

METATRON

Give him a minute.

METATRON walks off and DEAN follows him.

DEAN

How did you get past Crowley's angel-warding?

METATRON

I'm the Scribe of God. I erased it.

DEAN

But you saw, right? I mean, you— you're caught up on everything that's been going on. All the crap that your brethren's been doing to humanity all this time?

METATRON

I saved the boy, didn't I?

DEAN

But are you in? With us, I mean.

METATRON

You really intend on closing the doors of Hell?

DEAN

Seems like the thing to do, don't it?

METATRON

It's your choice. And that's what this has all been about, the choices your kind make. But you're gonna have to weigh that choice. Ask yourself: what is it going to take to do this, and what will the world be like after it's done?

SAM

Dean? Dean!

DEAN returns as KEVIN starts coming around.

DEAN

Kevin? Hey. I thought we lost you, kiddo.

KEVIN

I'm good. [he pulls out the demon tablet] Second half of the tablet. And I got it. Third trial. I didn't tell Crowley.

SAM

So what is it?

METATRON

To cure a demon.

KEVIN

Yeah. (beat) Who are you?

INT. IMPALA - NIGHT

SAM and DEAN drive down the road.

DEAN

Cure a demon. Okay, ignoring the fact that I have no idea what that actually means, if we— if we do this, you get better, right? I mean, you stop trying to cough up a lung, and, and, and bumping into furniture?

SAM

I feel better, yeah, um, just having a direction to move in.

DEAN

Well, good, cause where we're headed doesn't sound like a picnic.

SAM

But we're heading somewhere. The end.

DEAN brakes abruptly as they spot a figure lying in the middle of the road.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

As the Impala swerves, its headlights illuminate the figure, revealing it to be a bloodied CASTIEL. The car skids to a halt and SAM and DEAN jump out.